purgatory
noun
pur·ga·to·ry
| \ ˈpər-gə-ˌtȯr-ē
\
\
plural purgatories
Definition of purgatory
1
: an intermediate state after death for expiatory purification
specifically
: a place or state of punishment wherein according to Roman Catholic doctrine the souls of those who die in God's grace may make satisfaction for past sins and so become fit for heaven
2
: a place or state of temporary suffering or misery
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Examples of purgatory in a Sentence
the purgatory of drug abuse
The marathons were jokingly referred to as one-day purgatories.
Recent Examples on the Web
With its time in purgatory seemingly over, Credit Suisse is aiming to push its RoTE into double figures. — The Economist, "Tidjane Thiam’s overhaul of Credit Suisse is paying off," 24 Aug. 2019 For most, a demotion from the big leagues to the minors feels like a descent into purgatory. — BostonGlobe.com, "Mookie Betts’s first taste of a major league clubhouse made him grateful for a demotion," 13 Aug. 2019 All the while, the Wizards remain somewhat in purgatory, with John Wall expected to miss all of the coming season due to a ruptured Achilles, Otto Porter cast aside last season in cost cutting, and the abject failure with Dwight Howard. — Ira Winderman, sun-sentinel.com, "Heat to find out if Beal street is even navigable," 25 July 2019 For now, thanks to the reasoning of one judge, the mandate is in a state of purgatory, but its primary message rang loud and clear: Asylum-seekers don't belong in the US. — Jason Parham, WIRED, "Depth of Field: The Charged Uncertainty at the Tijuana Border," 25 July 2019 Budget purgatory: Another day of negotiations failed to yield a state budget deal. — Jeremy Pelzer, cleveland.com, "Business tax exemption key hang-up in Ohio budget talks: Capitol Letter," 12 July 2019 Shea was offered a transfer to headquarters in DC by NASA Administrator George Mueller, though the deputy administrator position that had sounded so good on paper turned out to be nothing more than a bureaucratic version of purgatory. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "The Greatest Leap, part 1: How the Apollo fire propelled NASA to the Moon," 16 July 2019 Zidane has chosen Pogba, which leaves Eriksen in a sort of purgatory. — SI.com, "Christian Eriksen 'Considering' Man Utd & Juventus as Real Madrid Prefer to Sign Paul Pogba," 23 June 2019 Barrett looks like one of the few winners in this unexpected purgatory, as the 19-year-old scoring-minded wing needs the ball in his hands and an organization willing to be patient. — Ben Golliver, courant.com, "2019 NBA mock draft: How will Pelicans build around Zion Williamson?," 18 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'purgatory.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for purgatory
purgatory
noun
English Language Learners Definition of purgatory
: a state after death according to Roman Catholic belief in which the souls of people who die are made pure through suffering before going to heaven
: a place or state of suffering
See the full definition for purgatory in the English Language Learners Dictionary
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